A View To The Outside
by tin2lo
Summary: Post Series:Ursa visits Ozai in prison to tell him what he's been missing in the world and how it's changed as well as the new additions in the family. Mentions of Zutara, Sukka, and Taang.


**Hey everybody! So I know what you're all thinking…what am **_**I**_** doing in the Avatar Last Airbender realm when I still need to update my stories in the Narnia realm? Well, the thing is, I didn't really like the series until closer to the ending when Zuko became good. So I began watching "Day of Black Sun" all the way up to "Sozin's Comet" several times until inspiration for a oneshot finally hit me. Mind you, I did watch the entire series, so I know my info. This chica's not stupid.**

**So if you know me, you know that I'm mostly a Narnia fanfic writer. So please review, just not too harshly considering this is my first ATLA fanfic. Also please don't criticize my decisions to be mostly anti canon. Why the hell am I mostly anti canon? 'Cause it wouldn't be much fanfiction if we always followed what the original writers had in mind.**

**NOTE: This fic mentions Zutara and references slight Sukka and Taang. Post Sozin's Comet/Post series. Some spoilers, maybe, don't remember. I borrowed the names for the kids. Kuzon has nothing to do with Aang's old friend and Korra has nothing to do with the new series. I just didn't feel like thinking up my own names.**

**Disclaimer: Anything that looks familiar is most likely not mine (I even went as far as borrowing a line from Disney's The Little Mermaid). ATLA belongs to Bryan and Michael, Zutara and Taang belong to the fans, and this plot is the only thing I claim as my own. Sad and pathetic? I think so.**

For Firelord Ozai, there was no such thing as expressing emotions. Expressing emotions meant showing weakness. And showing weakness meant showing vulnerability. That's what was instilled in him by his father and his father's father and also what he tried to teach his own children. Unfortunately, the lesson only made it through to one child. The irony behind it was that the child the lesson didn't get through to is now current Firelord while the child he did instill the lesson in was currently, if he was informed correctly, rotting in an asylum.

How did things end up so wrong? Why is he no longer a firebender? Why was he stuck in this metal cell while his weak, tea sipping older brother was walking free? Why is his pride and joy in an asylum while his greatest shame was ruling the most powerful nation? What made him think he no longer needed the only woman that ever might have loved him? He forced himself to stop thinking of those things. He was showing weakness and that was unacceptable.

As he was trying to re-compose himself he heard one of the guards. "Ozai, you have a visitor." Ozai growled. The last time he had a visitor was Zuko, now firelord, a little more than a decade ago. How he hated having to face his son. The last thing he wanted was to see him again. He did not want to see his son, the avatar, or even his own brother. No, he did not want visitors now.

"You can tell that firelord of yours that I don't want to be graced with his presence again." Ozai was unmoving, figuratively and literally. He was persistent in not seeing his son regardless of his title and he was still sitting in the same position he was in the last time Zuko made a visit, which also happened to be Zuko's first visit to him.

Ozai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Soon a female voice disturbed his silence. "Then it's a good thing that he is not here now, isn't it?" Ozai had not turned his head but his eyes did open wide. He knew that voice…even after all these years, he still recognized that voice. He turned his head to see the graceful, gentle, and beautiful figure of his wife, his would-be firelady…Ursa. It couldn't be possible.

"But…how…?" He still hadn't turned his body towards her but he did turn his head to see her full form. She looked unchanged except that she wore less formal fire nation clothing. How was alive? It just couldn't be. Sure she was only banished, but he had assumed she was dead. Otherwise he would've known her whereabouts, right?

She replied with a smile and her always gentle voice. "I guess that's why I came here – to give you a little insight on the outside world."

He was still disbelieving. "How is this possible?"

She sat down in front of him and still kept her gentle smile. "It's quite possible. That's what I came down to tell you. You deserve to know what's happened and what's changed."

He turned away from her and scowled. "And what makes you think I _deserve_ such an honor?" He said it with a hint of malice and sarcasm.

"Every father deserves to know how his children are faring. And I believe you love your country enough to want to know about its current state of prosperity."

He did not look at her and did not speak. She continued. "I feel you deserve to know and Zuko refuses to see you or allow his own family anywhere near you. It took me a lot of convincing to have him allow me to see you right now."

Though he tried not to show emotion, he couldn't help but be a little shocked with her news. "Zuko has a family of his own?" Ursa sensed the shock and disgust in his voice.

Ursa couldn't help but smile. "Yes. A wife and two children. Twins – a boy and a girl." Ozai had forgotten that it had been a little more than a decade since he was put into that confounded cell.

Seeing a hint of confusion, she began from the beginning. "A few months after Zuko was crowned Firelord and after he visited you here, he along with the Avatar, restored peace among the nations. When he knew that the peace was strong and unwavering, he decided to accept the challenge of finding me. Your brother, Iroh, looked after the nation in his absence."

As Ursa paused, she studied his face and even though he was hiding behind his long black hair, she could tell when his facial features changed when certain things were mentioned such as the Avatar or her banishment.

When she realized she wouldn't receive any vocal recognition, she sighed and continued. "He brought along his friend, Katara, a master waterbender and together they spent months looking for me. Zuko had previously helped Katara find her mother's killer so she did this as a favor to him against the wishes of the Avatar."

Ozai nearly laughed. A stupid boy and a peasant girl on an impossible journey. Ha!

Ursa conintued. "They obviously found me. It was a couple months later in a small, secluded village living quite happily despite being away from my home nation and my family. Because of the seclusion that this little village received, I hadn't even realized the war had ended. But I received more joy in the realization of being reunited with my son than whether or not the war ended."

He sneered at her. "If you were so happy there during your banishment, why did you come back? Isn't the Fire Nation as horrible as people portray it as?"

"Why wouldn't I come back? NO matter what people think, the Fire Nation will always be my home. It's where my family is."

Ozai laughed bitterly. "What family? our family has almost never been whole and it most likely never will be."

Ursa frowned at him but was still composed. She felt bad for him though she knew that he brought this all upon himself. "I beg o differ. I have my son, my daughter, my husband, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Just because you're in prison and Azula's in an asylum doesn't make you any less family."

Ozai showed no movement. He didn' want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had bested him. She spoke again. "But I can see now how you and Zuko are related. He said the exact same thing. He thought we were no longer a family but I told him differently. He didn't really listen but he eventually gave into the idea when he met that one special girl. She helped him to change his views."

Ozai scowled. His son must have been really wek in order to be influenced by a woman. "So who is this woman that I'm apparently not worthy of seeing?"

"The only reason Zuko refuses to allow his family to see you is because he knew you wouldn't approve. He's just trying to protect them. He wants to be a good father."

Ozai tried to ignore the "good father" comment. "I already don't approve of him. What makes his wife any different?"

Ursa sighed before continuing. "Because she's a waterbender."

At this Ozai finally looked at her. Shock, disbelief, and anger were evident on his face. Not only did he now know his son's wife is a waterbender, but he knew exactly which waterbender his son chose. "WHAT? That..boy…that…disgrace to the Fire Nation line of royalty, put a waterbending peasant on the throne?"

For the first time, Ursa also raised her voice. "Do not speak of her that way! You have been here for a long while so I don't blame you for not knowing but you need to understand that the world has changed since the end of the war. Your son is not weak. Your daughter-in-law is from the water tribe. Her brother married a Kyoshi Warrior. The Airbending Avatar is courting his earthbending instructor. Your own brother even lives in Ba Sing Se. The world has changed and inter racial marriages are no longer looked down upon. For the first time in history, the four nations are all connected. And even if you don't accept it, you need to understand it."

He looked away from her again. He could not believe what he was hearing. He wanted to hear no more and yet he was curious as to what had happened to the world in which he tried to make his own.

Ursa's voice went back to its original soothing tone. "The Air Temples have also been rebuilt. The avatar has much hope that his people will return again. He feels them in the wind. Their bodies may be gone but their spirits still live."

Ozai snickered. That had to be one of the stupidest things he'd ever heard. The Air Nomads were no more for his grandfather had made sure of it. "Anything else that's new in this world that I should know about?"

Ursa thought for a little before continuing. "The reform and reconstruction programs that Zuko made are quite effective. The world is now very accepting of the Fire Nation people and many are now living in the lands of the other nations. The Southern Water Tribe has been rebuilt to the point of rivaling the beauty of its sister Tribe in the north. The Air Temples, like I said, are being rebuilt and the Earth Kingdom is settling the problems with their smaller villages and the even smaller villages, such as the one Zuko found me in when he looked for me, are being informed on the state of the world."

Ozai didn't respond and just went back to sulking. Husband and wife just sat in each other's presence. The two hadn't been in the same room together in over ten years, much less spoke to each other. Afer a little longer in the lingering silence, Ursa finally brought up a topic she knew he didn't want to hear about but knew it was something needed and more or less deserved on his part - the talk about Zuko's new family, for every father, be they evil or not, deserved to know about his family.

"You know she is quite a tremendous girl..." Ozai was confused but allowed Ursa to keep talking. "…our daughter-in-law – Katara. She's a gifted waterbender as well as a gifted mother especially considering her past. She has the ability to heal the broken whether it be physically with her waterbending healing powers or emotionally with her soothing words. I owe her the world for fixing Zuko in more ways than I can say."

Ozai scoffed. "Don't tell me she managed to remove that scar on his face."

Ursa frowned a bit. "No , she didn't do that. But she I'd manage to show him that his scar could be either his greatest shame or a symbol to be proud of. It all depends on one's perspective." Ozai scowled at being bested once again.

With a smile and a hint of pride, Ursa continued. "Considering the fact that she lost her mother at such a young and tender age, plus losing her childhood in order to help the Avatar, she has grown to be an exceptional mother herself."

Ursa smiled at the thought of her daughter-in-law and the family she had brought into the world for her son. "It makes me smile to know that hers and Zuko's love has survived for so long. I'm quite grateful that Zuko came to his senses before anything serious happened. He was dating Mai, you remember - Azula's friend, by the end of the war. But when she blatantly and angrily refused his decision to find me, to the point of a heated argument, he ended it with her. Frankly I think she was too…bland for him anyway. The same argument happened between Katara and Avatar Aang. But I honestly think she knew the whole time that the Avatar was too "young" and too childish for her. They were too much like siblings. But what does my opinion matter? Katara and Zuko found each other in the end. There love is unwavering…so strong…When the council disapproved of Katara she still managed to fight for their love. She won them over eventually when they found out how much she's helped our nation, such as healing people as "The Painted Lady" or going against one of her own people to stop her from terrorizing an entire Fire Nation village. Today, the council can't help but adore her especially after siring two amazing little benders."

Ozai looked at Ursa. "Well if this peasant is as amazing as you take her for, then why will her husband not allow her to see me?" He spat it back with venom.

Ursa frowned a bit. "As I've said before, Zuko is only trying to protect his family. He is very protective. He does not want to risk losing any of them by bringing them here to see you. Katara is his other half – water and fire, Yin and Yang. She rises with the moon as he rises with the sun. To lose her would mean to lose another part of him. And his two children…they are just amazing little creatures, Kuzon and Korra. They are both about ten years of age with his son being older by a mere seven minutes. His son, crown prince and heir to the throne, is a firebending protégé being trained by Zuko. He is learning how to be as good and if not better than his own father. He does not complain when Zuko pushes him for his own temper equals that of his father's. Kuzon is the spitting image of his father at that age - except for his eyes, his mother's eyes. Watching Kuzon grow up is like watching Zuko grow up all over again. It brings tears to my eyes. Almost everything is Zuko from his appearance to his bending to his personality. The Fire Sages and the council love him for the fact that he, though he is half Water Tribe, has the potential to be greater than his forefathers."

Ozai made a face at hearing about his grandson but she saw something else hidden under it. She made note of it before continuing with their second grandchild. "His twin, Korra, is most definitely Water Tribe. According to Hakoda, Korra is almost everything Katara was at that age. He feels the pride of watching his daughter grow up a second time. Just as I do. Like her brother, she is also a gifted bender except she is a waterbending protégé. At night when the moon is at its peak, Katara trains their daughter in the art of waterbending while during the day they practice healing techniques. She has Zuko's eyes though, his beautiful golden eyes. She has much of her mother's personality and yet also much of her father's spirit. Both children have a mind of their own and are not afraid to speak their minds. And, although they are royalty, Zuko and Katara try to make sure they are humble and kind rather than spoiled and people to be feared. They sometimes send the two children to Iroh to learn to be humble as well as to experience and interact with the world around them just like their parents previously."

Ursa paused to see if she had affected Ozai in even the smallest way by talking about their grandchildren. Ozai still would not look at her. She sighed and continued. "They truly are amazing children. I really wish that you had a chance to meet them…because, honestly…I think you'd be proud of them - not only proud of them but proud of your own son as well. I just wish I could see how you could think that this world that gives us such wonderful things could be bad. But I know one day you'll come back to us. Though we had an arranged marriage, I still loved you. And even now as I sit in front of you with these metal bars separating us, I still love you. And I will forever wait until the day that the man I love will return to us…to me." She stood up and blew him a kiss but he still would not look at her. She walked to the door but before closing it she whispered "I love you, Ozai."

When the door finally closed and he was back in his dark and cold cell all alone, former Firelord Ozai broke down and cried.

_The world carries on without you  
>But nothing remains the same<br>I'll be lost without you  
>Until the Last Of Days<em>

-"The Last of Days" by A Fine Frenzy

**How'd I do for my first ATLA? It was just something that popped into my head.**

**-tin2lo**


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